Winter in Dhaka: Fighting Mosquitoes, Dust and Dry Skin | How Dakaits Fight the Worst of Winter: Mosquitoes, Dust and Dry Skin | Dhaka’s winter woes: Mosquitoes, dust and dry skin take over | Winter Survival in Dhaka: Mosquitoes, Dust and Dry Skin | Defending Dhaka from the harshest winters: mosquitoes, dust and dry skin | Dust, mosquitoes, dry skin: Dhaka’s real winter dilemmas

Winter has arrived and Dhaka has become a hive of activity for late-night tea sessions, pitha feasts and rooftop barbeque parties. However, overshadowing this happy occasion are Dhaka’s most dreaded villains: dust, dry skin and mosquitoes. These three threats come like a rogues gallery from a superhero movie, each with their own diabolical plot to ruin the season.

But fear not, for the Dhakaites are anything but resilient. Armed with lotions, coils and a questionable amount of enthusiasm, the city battles its wintry foes.

The mosquito horde

Superpower: Sneak attacks and an insatiable thirst for human blood.
Modus Operandi: Popping out of every corner imaginable once the sun dips below the horizon.

Winter mosquitoes are a different breed altogether. While summer mosquitoes have the decency to be lazy and predictable, their winter counterparts are faster, stealthier and strangely persistent. They laugh in front of your power washer, dodge the smoke from the coil, and somehow find that patch of exposed skin through the mosquito netting.

How the dakai fight back

The Coil Ritual: Light a coil and place it under the table, hoping it works before your tea does. start to taste like burnt chemicals.

Spray Crusade: Emptying half a can of bug spray into the living room while chanting “Better them than me.”

Mosquito Net Armor: Turn your bed into an anti-mosquito fortress, only to realize you’ve locked in a mosquito that is now your enemy for the night.

Duststorm Duo

Superpower: Infiltrates everything from your nose to freshly cleaned furniture.
Modus Operandi: A walk in the winter breeze and Dhaka’s endless construction projects.

Winter in Dhaka brings an incessant avalanche of dust. It’s on your clothes, in your hair, and somehow even in your cup of tea during rooftop gatherings. The sheer boldness of the dust is legendary – it settles on freshly wiped furniture in seconds and turns your lungs into its personal playground.

How the dakai fight back

The Mop and Wipe Alliance: An endless dusting cycle that feels more like a cardio routine than a cleaning task.

Mask: Channel your inner superhero by wearing a face mask everywhere, even indoors.

Plant Sidekicks: Fill your home with houseplants that promise to purify the air, but mostly just look good.

The Dry Skin Bandit

Superpower: Transforming the toughest Dhakaite into a human loofah.
Modus Operandi: Remove all moisture from your skin, leaving itchy, gray skin and contemplate life.

Dry skin doesn’t discriminate – it affects everyone. You could be at a VIP event in Bananas and your hands will look like they belong to someone who doesn’t know about the invention of moisturizers. The betrayal is personal and relentless, turning winter into a battle of hydration.

How the Dakai fight back:

The lotion arsenal: stocking up on moisturizers like it’s a zombie apocalypse, with every household suddenly owning three types of Nivea.

Lip Balm Obsession: Carrying lip balm in every pocket, purse and occasionally tucked into a sock for emergencies.

Oil Ritual: Rub mustard oil into every crevice of your body while pretending to smell like a luxury spa product.

The City Responds

Dhakaites are nothing but creative in their resistance. As mosquitoes, dust and dry skin continue their relentless onslaught, the city’s collective resilience turns the fight into a community event. Neighbors share remedies, colleagues exchange tips, and WhatsApp groups ignite with debate about the best mosquito repellents.

From rooftop barbecue parties to Mirpur bazaars, Dhaka becomes a battleground of ingenuity:

Grandmothers invent DIY moisturizers with aloe vera and turmeric.

Local children invent games with mosquito washers.

Every household becomes a fortress of defense against dust.

Dhaka winters are a paradox – a season that brings both unmatched charm and relentless chaos. And while mosquitoes, dust and dry skin continue their reign of terror, the city’s true heroes – the people – rise to the occasion with intelligence, ingenuity and a lot of luck.

Because in Dhaka, no villain stands a chance against a well-hydrated, masked, spiral-lit warrior.